10/05/2026
✨ Celebrating 80 Years of ASQ in 2026 — and honoring Buffalo’s even earlier quality legacy.
As ASQ celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2026, we are proud to recognize the important role Buffalo played in the early history of the quality movement.
🔹 Buffalo’s quality story began in 1943, when the Society of Quality Control Engineers of Buffalo was formed with 41 members. Its founding officers were C. Wing, President; Dr. M. Brumbaugh, Vice President; V. Grom, Secretary; and G. Harrold, Treasurer.
🔹 In July 1944, the first issue of Industrial Quality Control was published in Buffalo. Around that same time, Dr. Martin A. Brumbaugh was actively advocating for a national organization of quality professionals.
🔹 On February 16, 1946, the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) was formally established by 253 members representing 17 local quality societies. The Buffalo organization became the Buffalo Section of ASQC, helping connect our local quality community to what would become today’s ASQ.
🔹 Buffalo’s contributions continued. In 1948, the Brumbaugh Award was established in honor of Martin A. Brumbaugh, and in May 1964, the Buffalo Section hosted the 18th Annual ASQC Convention at the Statler Hilton Hotel.
🔹 In 1997, ASQC became the American Society for Quality (ASQ).
As we celebrate this milestone, we honor not only 80 years of ASQ, but also more than 80 years of quality leadership in Buffalo — a legacy built by dedicated professionals whose work helped shape the quality community we know today.
We look forward to continuing that legacy and supporting quality professionals across Western New York for years to come.
Sources: ASQ Buffalo Section History and ASQ Historical Highlights
